Do you like redeemed villains?

Italy
January 27, 2008 10:04am CST
When I read or watch a movie I like a lot characters who start as bad guy but they change and choose the good side. And you? What's your favourite redeemed villain? Mine are Vegeta from Dragonball and Snape from Harry Potter
3 people like this
8 responses
27 Jan 08
I certainly enjoy anti-heroes a lot more than the typical heroes. Just looking at anime there's Tsume of Wolf's Rain, Alucard of Hellsing, Alex Roe of Last Exile... wait, they're all voiced by the VA prince; Crispin Freeman... hehe. I love Wolverine and Gambit of X-Men too. I can't think of many 'redeemed' villains though, at least few that were introduced to the series/book/manga etc as villains. Vegeta and Picollo are much loved favourites *pokes her Vegeta figurine* lol Oh, Ken Ichijoji from Digimon S2, he's adorable! *cough* There are a few who used to be villains but were introduced as 'good guys' like Wolfwood of Trigun and Elim Garak of Deep Space 9. Morally ambiguous characters (ex-villains and anti-heroes) are just more interesting because there are far more possibilities when they are faced with a choice. You don't know if they will choose the 'right' thing to do. They also have more angst. Angst is fun.
27 Jan 08
Just realised I'm in 'reading'. I thought I was in 'anime'. *sigh* Just looking at my book collection; few of my books even have classical heroes in them. They're all morally ambigous (except Dracula, the majority of my children's books and my Buffy novels). My favourite series is the Vampire Chronicles; though you could argue that Lestat is, in ways, a good man he certainly has a fluid morality!
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
28 Jan 08
Hehe, I wound up talking about anime too since she mentioned Dragonball. :P
28 Jan 08
Ah, so it's your fault! Yes, I blame you for my lapse in concentration *hmph* I guess anime, and eastern entertainment in general, clashes with our view of right/wrong and good/bad. I don't know if it is a cultural thing, if they are just more open about the fuzziness of morality or what, but eastern entertainment has more characters sitting in the 'grey' zone than western entertainment does. Western is moving out of this. It has always had its token anti-heroes from Loki to Dr Frankenstein to Wolverine. But it has not been until the last, well I'd say five years, maybe pushing into ten now, that western entertainment has really embraced the idea that life is not monochrome. We suddenly have 'bad' people leading shows, or taking prominent parts like Spike and Angel, House MD and Dr. Cox, the entire cast of Firefly (gotta love Joss Whedon!).
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
31 Jan 08
i like Vegeta and Snape's character too because even if they redeemed themselves, they still didn't change their attitude. they still act as if villains in their usual villain attitude even if they are already on the good side. i don't like redeemed villains who changed their attitude. i just can't give an example right now but i really don't like the idea of a villain changing sides and even changing behavior. it would seem like a different character. i prefer the redeemed villain to retain his/her villainous attitude. ^__^
1 person likes this
• Italy
31 Jan 08
Yeah, me too. It would be a total makeover to make, say, Vegeta like puppies and flowers. LOL And not everyone has to be nice and sweet to be on the good side
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
31 Jan 08
oh my, if vegeta became a puppy-loving saiyan i would definitely hate him! .
• Italy
1 Feb 08
*starts to image Vegeta dancing in a pink tutu and hugging puppies* LOL I think I would loath him if he becomes good xD. In Dragonball GT he's already too good for me (his wife commands him LOL xD)
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
27 Jan 08
Gaara from Naruto is probably my favorite redeemed villain. I love the way his worldview changes, and how while he becomes a "good guy", his somewhat distant and chilly personality doesn't really go away. :) I also did really like Snape from Harry Potter, and I was glad that he turned out to be on the good side in the end. I was very confidant that was the case through most of the books, but I was wondering a bit after what happened to George Weasley, but I was happy that Snape was redeemed in the end. Another character I like that fits this category is Amiboshi from Fushigi Yuugi. :)
1 person likes this
• Italy
28 Jan 08
I like also true villains like Jafar from Alladin, but redeemed villains have their charm. It's the old dream of changing someone with friendship or love... in reality it never happens. My favourites are Jago from the return of Jafar and Spike from Buffy
• Italy
31 Jan 08
OH Spike! How much I love you! Angel , the too-good-to be true vampire, instead is boring. Another round win by anti-heroes!
1 person likes this
• Italy
1 Feb 08
Yeah, Angel is too angelic for my taste*kills herself for the bad pun* A good vampire has no sense for me, it should be at least a bit b@stard inside
@larish (2213)
• Philippines
19 May 09
I love Shrek and Hell boy. Both had very bad temper. Both are very ugly but at the end they had a good heart.
• United States
31 Jul 11
Mine is Vegeta from DBZ all the way. :) I loved how, even though he technically became a "good guy" he still retained his cocky, pride-filled attitude from the days of the Saiyan Saga.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
27 Jan 08
Oh definately Professor Snape from Harry Potter series. I still am realing about whether he was good or bad or really bad or ... did he want his own power or was he really working for Voldemort or using him for his own power... Jane Rowlink (JK Rowling) did a great job with that character ever since the first book and all the way to the end.
@iamsree (440)
• India
29 Jan 08
i like vegeta and piccolo from dragonball and wolverine(even though he is not a villain,he has a mean attitude).....